Treatment with liquids of metal articles, especially plates



March 17,1942. C R Q 2,276,566

TREATMENT WITH LI u'Insf 0F METAL ARTICLES, ESPECIALLY PLATES Filed June 29,- 1940" ZSheets-Sheet 1 7&

March 17, 1942. J. CURRAN TREATMENT WITH LIQUIDS OF METAL ARTICLES, ESPECIALLY PLATES.

Filed June 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet? FIG.

atented as. 17, 1942 TREANT TH LIQUIDS F METAL ARTICLES, ESPECHALLY PLATES I John Curran, Cardifi,.Wales Application June 29, 1940, Serial 1%:343301 En Great Britain-June 28, 1939 (c1. sec- 2) 2 Glalms.

This invention relates to the treatment with liquids, for instance pickling,- washing, del acquering and/or degreasing, of metal articles, especially plates.

Hitherto metal plates have been pickled by dipping them individually into a bath of pickling acid, or by immersing a batch'or pack of plates,

supported in a basket, in a bath of pickling acid proved method of treating plates with liquids which is both economical and efiicient.

The invention comprises a method of subjecting metal plates to treatment with jets of a liquid, wherein the. jets are directed upon the upper edges of a pack of plates situated in, or moving through, a vertical position or a position sufficiently near the vertical to enable the plates to be separated by the jets.

The term "plates is to be understood to include sheets, strips and the like. 1

The liquid reaches the surfaces of the plates, in this method, in the form of streams rather than as a spray, and the force of the jets tends to separate the plates and facilitate the flow of the -liquid to all parts of the plate surfaces.

The invention also comprises apparatus adapted to carry out the aforesaid method, which comprises a rotor divided by radial partitions into a number of sectoral compartments each adapted to receive the articles to be treated, and at least one row of nozzles situated adjacent to the periphery of the rotor and in or nearly in the vertical plane containing the axis of the rotor, the nozzles being connected with means for supplying the treating liquid.

The invention may be applied with advantage to pickling sheets or plates of steel preparatory to tinning, or the commercial mild steel sheet known as backplate preparatory to its final annealing.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of apparatus for pickling metal plates.

The rotor is constructed of a hub l on which are fixed discs 2 held firmly in position by bolts 8 and each carrying a number of radial rods t.

The rotor is mounted on a shaft adapted to rotate in bearings s and is driven by a motor (not shown) through gears l. The rods 4 divide the rotor into sectoral compartments each of which, as the compartment passes the position a in Fig. 1, receives from the conveyer it a pack of. plates, the rotor being supposed to rotate clockwise. As the rotor turns, the pack of plates resting on the rods s and discs 2 is brought under the pipes t each of which has a row of nozzles and is fed with acid under pressure by means of a pump it which sucksacid from the sump II and delivers it by way of a pipe 12 to a header It with which the pipes 9 are connected.

The jets of acid projected from the nozzles in the pipes 9 impinge on the edges of the plates, and as the plates approach the vertical position they are separated by the jets, aided by gravity. After the acid has poured over the plates, pickling them and washing away the scale, it flows back into the sump I i.

l'he conveyer It consists of a number of endless ropes, preferably of rubber, which pass over sheaves I5 situated in the spaces between the rods 5. The plates are discharged by gravity from the compartment passing the position it in Fig. 1, if desired on to a suitable conveyer (not shown). If desired, a conveyer similar to the conveyer it may be provided to pick up the plates and remove them from the compartment l1. Alternatively, a single conveyer may perform the functions both of charging and discharging. the machine. The conveyer may be divided into any suitable number of sections which pass between the rods and are carried by sheaves or sprockets situated at any convenient distance from the rotor. If necessary, the conveyer may be supported by sheaves or sprockets mounted on the hub I.

In the example shown in the drawings, the rods t in effect form a number of radial partitions which divide the rotor into sectoral compartments. If desired, each set of rods forming a partition may bereplaced by a radial plate; the compartments would then be adapted to hold articles of smaller dimensions than could be heldby the partitions formed 'of rods. 1

Liquids other than acid, for instance washing, degreasing or delacquering liquids, may, if desired, be projected from the pipes 9.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for subjecting metal plates to treatment with jets of liquid, which apparatus comprises a rotor divided throughout the extent of its periphery by radial partitions into a number of sectoral compartments each adapted to freely receive a plurality of plates to be cleaned and bounded inwardly by the hub of the rotor which affords a support for the edges of the packs of plates at the inner ends of the partitioned compartments, and at least one row of nozzles situated adjacent to the periphery of the rotor and substantially in the vertical plane containing the axis of the rotor, the nozzles being connected with means for supplying the treating liquid downwardly along and against the upper edges of the pack of plates in the form of jets from said row of nozzles to enable the plates to be separated by said row of jets to facilitate the flow of liquid to all parts of the plate surfaces, a conveyor adapted to deposit the plates in each compartment of the rotor before that compartment passes underthe nozzles and a conveyor adapted to remove the plates from each compartment after that compartment has passed under the nozzles, each of said radial partitions consisting of a number of rods projecting radially from the hub of the rotor and the said conveyors consisting of a number of endless flexible members such as 20 chains or ropes which pass between the said rods.

2. Apparatus for subjecting metal plates to treatment with jets of a liquid, such apparatus comprising a rotor mounted for continuous rotation and divided throughout the extent of its periphery by radial partitions into a number or sectoral compartments each adapted to freely receive a plurality oi metal plates to be cleaned, and bounded inwardly by the hub of the rotor which aflords a support for the metal plates at their inner edges, and at least one row of nozzles situated adjacent to the periphery of the rotor and substantially in the vertical plane containing the axis of the rotor, the nozzles being connected with means for supplying the treating liquid through the said row of nozzles downwardly in the form of streams or jets along and against the upper edges of the plates to enable the plates to be separated by the row of jets to iacilitate the flow of liquid to all parts of the plate surfaces.

JOHN CURRAN. 

